Pipe-coupling packing.



W. W. PRICE. PIPE COUP-LING PACKING.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1910.

980,671 I Patente@ Jans, 1911.

WILLIAM W. PRICE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO.

PIPE-COUPLING PACKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 3, 1911.

Application filed September, 1910. Serial No. 581,028.

T o all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. PRICE, a citizen o`f the United States, residing at Dayton, inthe county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Coupling Packings; and I do hereby declare the folv lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to pipe couplings andL moreI especially to thattype of coupling used in connection with mains for conveying gas under pressure.

The objects ofthe invention are to provide a coupling which will effectually seal the joint against escape of gas and of such construction as will prevent deterioration .of the elastic packing materials through the action of the gas itself or of the destructive elements carried with or contained in the Great difficulty has been encountered in making couplings in gas mains permanent where elastic packing materials are employed, this being in a great measure due to the destructive action; of the gas and elements carried therewith or existing therein as impurities, the disintegration of the elastic packing material not only permitting of the-formation of channels or passages for theV escape of gas butthe body of the material is to a certain degree decomposed vand the pressure elements of the metallic portions of the coupling are ineffective to retain the same in position under the required pressure. In overcomin a packing ring is provide which, in its sea ling ed e where the gases or products carried with t e gases come in contact therewith, has incorporated therein a flexible fibrous material which may be of nonelastic character but which is unaffected by the gas or materials which are destructive to the elastic material of which the body of the packing is composed. In connection with :a ring having its exposed edge or lface thus protected, there'ls employed a means for disftributing the `pressure of ,the clamping ele- :ments through'the body of the pac for preventing the squeezing out of the elasing and tic material through the interstices of the joint, such means bein also incorporated the protecting fabric in the front face these difficultiesin the of the pac 'iggring itself but.

in proirimity to the opposite -face from that which is protected against the destructive influences of the gas.

Referring to t-he accompanying draw- 60 ings-Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a pipe coupling embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional perspective of la portion of the packing ring. Fig. 3 is a transverse section 65i through the ring, and Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but with the elastic material partlyremoved to show the reinforcement in the rear face of the ringand edge of the ring.

Like letters of reference in 'the several v`figures indicate the same parts.

The metal portions of the coupling, as

shown in Fig. 1, may conveniently consist 7-5 of a clamping ring or pressure member A,

a sleeve B, which bridges the joint at the end of the pipe C and bolts D-which connect they clamping ring A at one end of the sleeve with a ooperating clamping ring which may be located at the opposite en of the sleeve, but it will be understood that the particular construction of these arts may be varied to suit the conditions o use Without departing from the present invention.

`In the type of coupling illustrated, the end of thek sleeve B forms with the pipe C a recesswhich tapers down to the space between the pipe and body of the sleevel and the pressure ring A forms the outer wall of said space, whereby an elastic packin ring confined in said space will be orced y the pressure member A into the tapering chamber, thereby eectually sealing the joint against the escape of gaseous products.

The packing ring itself is formed with its body portion E of the elastic vulcanized india rubber which, in general cross-sectional contour, is made to substantially conform to the cross f sectional shape of the chamber. The front face or edge of this ring E which is the face or edge necessarilyV exposed tothe action ofthe gas and elements carried therewith, has incorporated therein and vulcani ized therewith, an indestructible fabric preferably in the form of a roll of woven asbestos fiber F which may conveniently have portions` of the rubber itself incorporated between -and within the threads or strands whereb'yethe Whole protecting edge or faceand the vioody of the ringare made a substantially integral structure, but-the asbes- I gas upon the elastic body vof the'ring. The

flexible asbestos fabric being backed up by the rubber `of 'the ring will form an effectual seal, but any possible interstices which might be formed or tend to form through the fabric are closed 'by the rubber backing forcing the-fabric forwardly and into intimate contact with the confining members.

In packings of this character which are ldesigned to withstand high pressures, the

clamping member has to b e advanced with great power, and there is a tendency under such extreme pressures of the rubber flowing out in the cracks of the joints and in this way not, only relieving the pressure on the packing but ltending to ultimately destroy the ring itself. To overcome this difliculty, a metal pressure distributing elenient of relatively large size is incorporated directly in the body of the packing ring and preferably in proximity to the inner and rear faces of the ring or, in other words, in the inner rear corner. This pressure distribiiting element may conveniently take the form of a metal spiral Gr which, as Will be readily understood, does not reduce Ithe flexibility and elasticity of the packing ring -bu't pressure brought to bear upon the rear face of the 'ring will be distributed through the ring by the metal coil and the coil will effectually prevent any of the body of the ring from squeezing back at the inner rear corner. l

In practice it is found that the protected front face or edge and the inner rear corner are rendered somewhat harder than the body of the ring by the inclusion therein of the asbestos -fa-bric and metal insert, but the flexibility of the ring whereby it may conform to the shape of 'the pipe or confining chamber and intermediate gas pipe is not reduced as compared with the ordinary rubber rings.

With couplings embodying the present invention it is found that they may .be buried, are practically permanent or have a life which substantiall equals the life of the gas main and meta lic parts.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim a's new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is- A 1. A packing for pipe couplings consisting of a solid elastic vulcanized rubber ring having the front face thereof parallel with the axis of the ring formed of Woven asbestos fabric a portion of which is incorporated in the front portion of the ring prior to vulcanization whereby a highly elastic body is rovided and said body is protected from t e destructive action of sub' stances confined by the packin 2f A packing for pipe coup ings, consisting of an elastic rin of vulcanized rubber of substantially we ge-sha ein cross-section and havingy the apex on y of the Wedge composed of a roll of asbestos fabric incorporated in the rubber by vulcanization.

3. 'A packing for pipe couplin consisting of a ring of elastic Vulcanize substance having incorporated in one face thereof a protecting fabric of asbestos liber and in the opposite face thereof a flexible metallic pressure distributing member.

4. A packing for pipe coupling, consisting of a ring of elastIc vulcanized rubber having incorporated in one face thereof a flexible protecting fabric of asbestos liber and in proximity to the opposite face thereof having a metallic spiral incorporated therein and forming a pressure distributing member.

WILLIAM W. PRICE.

Witnesses:

R. E. CoNDIT, F. J. MoRAN. 

